He just offers a chuckle in return. He knows how to use it, that's enough for him. He doesn't need to understand something to accept it.

"A bit more than usual. I have been allowed to study white magicks from the Elementals..." He has. Opinions on them. But for the sake of diplomacy he's never voiced them. "But healing and protective magicks are more my specialty. I'm more comfortable channeling aether through a blade than a staff, but I make do."

Better than make do, but he doesn't consider himself particularly skilled. He's just doing his best. "And my abilities work fine here, despite there not being apparently elementally-aligned aether. There's someone else here who is from our world who is better at elemental magicks than I am - aside from Alisaie. Her name is Mint... if you're in need of crystals she might be the person to ask."